On the mend- freebie sentiment...

I printed off 2 of this image from MelonHeadz ages ago, one which my son made into a card for his friend and another which went 'in the box'- so, in keeping with my mission to use up printed images, I used it for this card! He is coloured with Promarkers to match the digi-scrap papers from an LDS Blogtrain called 'choose the right'.  I know- I need help for the 'check addiction'!! (and I still have another check card that I will post later!) The blue paper has been run through a folder called 'Christmas stars' but I flipped it to use the de-bossed side. Green card has been cut with MTF Large Ric-Rac die and faux stitching added. The star is a Sizzlett die and the button and baker's twine are from my stash.

I made the sentiment as I wanted it to say 'on the mend' and if you would like it please feel free to grab it. (Click to bring up full size then right click and 'save as'.)

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:-

• Cute card Thursday- one for the boys
• My time to craft- happy healing (get well)
• Craft-room challenge- emboss it
• creative craft challenges- anything goes
• Oldie but goodie- die cuts
• The perfect sentiment- get well, without saying 'Get Well'!

I'm addicted to checks...

It's official, I am addicted to checked papers! Yesterday's card had checked papers, as does this and another I made but haven't blogged yet- and when I was looking back through my photos of cards there are alot of others too!
Continuing with my mission to use printed but uncoloured images up- I chose this Stella image from Bugaboo from my box to make this card. I cut her out with a nestie that I must use more often and drew around it on Core'dinations for a neat mat. The papers are from a digi-scrap kit called Apple Pickin' and I coloured Stella to match with my Promarkers. The flower was cut with a Sizzix Originals die using paper I printed from the kit for a perfect match and the little swirls are cut from a Marianne D swirl using the Core'dinations. The sentiment reads- The more candles, the bigger the wish. It was a freebie from Bluebirdflats and I coloured the tiny candles to match the card. A few Candi to finish.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:-

• Simon says- anything birthday
• Dutch dare- spring has sprung
• One stop- celebrations
• Secret crafter- sketch
• Catch the bug- anything goes
• Make it Monday- linky party

Fight like a girl...

Well I did it- I made a card! (For those of you who have not visited before- I have been intending to make one for the last 2 weeks but I have not been up to it following my operation.) I was on my own in the house on Friday- my mum-in-law has been coming up each day while my husband is at work and our son is at school. She has been helping around the house and making sure I don't overdo it! Because I was on my own our 9 month old pup had to be in his crate for most of the day because he is still too boisterous to be around me! His crate is in the dining room which is where I craft so it was the perfect chance to make a card and keep him company. I had to get my husband to get out the Big Shot before going to work because it is still too heavy for me to risk lifting down!

The image is a fab freebie from MelonHeadz and you can find it and a few more HERE. Two of my friends from work have fought and won against breast cancer in the last few years which was what started me making these encouraging cards for my stash, although it would be great if we didn't need them at all.
All the papers are from a digi set called 'Think Pink' by Just so Scrappy. I love them for so many girly cards but they were designed for these. I decided to put faux stitching around all the edges to give the different papers a bit more definition. I used MFT Die-namics large ric-rac die for the wavy band. I made the flowers with a Joy Craft die and the tiny foliage is a Marriane D die.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:-

• Make it Mondays- linky party
• Passion for Promarkers- die cuts
• Little red wagon- at least 3 flowers
• Simon says- anything goes 

Love these little mice!..

Well I still haven't managed to make a new card since my operation- the intention is there but by the time I start thinking about it I feel too tired to do it! Instead I thought I would share a card I made before but had not posted.
I followed a favourite layout using this lovely little Meljens mouse image (I love these mice so much!) and some digi-scrap papers by Scraps n Pieces called 'Ouch!'. I used a Nellies die for the scalloped square and some Joy Craft dies to make the flowers which I finished off with some Candi centers.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:-

• Paper Sundaes- Let's get cute
• Make it Monday- Always anything goes
• Passion for Promarkers- die cuts
• Simon says- anything goes
• My Mum's Craft Shop- the great outdoors
• Cute Card Thurs-  animal magic
• CRAFT- animals

Oops- a 'belated' card...

Trying to keep up with posting my cards in challenges again. This one is made with a Sugar Nellie rubber stamp called 'Blossom' and coloured with my Promarkers. The sentiment is from Elzybells. All the papers are from a digiscrap freebie by Shabby Princess called 'Festival'. As you can see it is an easel card.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Allsorts- say it with flowers
• Cupcake- Going dotty
• Hooked on Crafts- more than one fold
• Make it Monday- anything goes

Indulge...

I thought this image by MelonHeadz was just gorgeous and decided to use it to make a really girly card. The papers are from Summer Driggs 'A little spring in your step' freebie kit which I use so much. The sentiment is also a freebie from Scrap-a-licious Times. The flower was cut from DP with a joy crafts die and the swirl was a Marianne die.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Corrosive- girlie
• My time to craft- here come the girls
• Papertake Weekly- dies to die for

More Meljen's mice!...

Don't say I didn't warn you about these cute little mice! There are quite a few of them in my box just waiting to pop onto cards!
The image is another of the super-cute Meljen's mice. (I have been on the Whimsey Stamps website looking for more!) The papers are from the Blogtrain Blog's August train. The sentiment is from Scrap-a-licious Times and the flower which embellishes it was a white one which I coloured with my Promarkers.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Spoon Full of sugar- Happy Birthday
• Totally Gorjuss- Round and round

Inspired by India...

When I saw the inspiration photo at Cupcake Inspirations it immediately made me think of the bright colours and lavish prints of sari fabric.

I remembered that I had a really interesting pack of 'papers' that I had had for absolutely ages. They are not actually paper- they are made in India from cloth recycled from the garment manufacturers, but I had never had the right project for them until now. I found matching cardstocks from my stash and followed the sketch at I love Promarkers.

The image of the lady in a sari is from Melonheadz and I thought she was so perfect for this card. She has been coloured with Promarkers which give lovely strong colours.

I made the flower and swirl with Marianne dies. I gave the flower lots of dimension by curling it and using 3D foam between the layers. Papertake Weekly are looking for homemade flowers for their challenge this week. A few silver mirri Candi and a couple of gems complete the look.

This is really different from my usual style but I really enjoyed making it. However I put off doing some cards that I really need to get on with now!

Happy day...

Well, this was the card I mentioned yesterday and I'm pretty sure it will now have arrived so it's safe to put it up!
It follows the lovely sketch by Paula at Pollycraft again- I can see me using this layout quite a lot. The image is also Pollycraft and is called 'Blue's branch'- so sweet!
The papers are from the August Blog Train Blog- there are some really gorgeous papers in the kits this time and it should still be up if you want to follow it. It takes a while though as there are lots of stops and quite a few use 4shared and we all know how long that takes!
I printed the sentiment from TLC straight onto the DP and this was a particularly useful one for this card as it will be arriving a good few days after the birthday! I love the clean look you get when the sentiment is part of the DP. Finally, I finished it off with a few little pink gems.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Pollycraft- sketch
• I love Promarkers- things with wings

Cute little mouse...

I am really loving Meljen's little mice at the moment- there are a few more on the table waiting to be made up too!

I followed the great sketch by Paula at Pollycraft for this card. It is such a simple design yet it works so well- I have another card, also made with the same sketch, but I'm just hanging on before posting that as it is in the post!
The papers are from a digiscrap kit which is called 'Ouch' by Scraps N Pieces. I really liked the colours and the slightly faded/shabby chic look. If my friend Helen is reading this- This is the card that I stuck the strip down by mistake when we were on the phone! I had intended to have the sentiment on a tab coming out from under the middle strip but because I was chatting I stuck it down and realised too late that I had not done the tag! Oh well, I quite like the sentiment where it is now!
The flowers were die cut with a Joy Craft die from some of the DP that I had reduced in size with Photoshop. I was having trouble deciding what to use for centers as none of the brads I tried was right then I tried the cream Card Candi- It was perfect for the larger flower but I can't decide if I like it in the smaller ones.

I would like to enter this card for:

• Allsorts- free and easy
• Pollycraft- sketch
• Papertake Weekly- anything goes
• Stampin' for the weekend- spots and dots

I'm a bad crafter!...

I made this for my friend because I missed her birthday- I knew when it was and sent her a text but the card was a couple of days late. You'd expect crafters to be more on the ball!
The sentiment and image are both from MelonHeadz. Love that sentiment so much! Incase you can't read it on the card, it says 'My bestfriend- I keep her around 'cause she knows too much!' The papers are a freebie from Summer Driggs called 'A little spring in your step'. Finished off with a few Card Candi.

To go with it I made this little tag/sign. Again the wordy is from MelonHeads and I thought it was so true! I tried to do the cat black and white like her one and decoupaged up the images for more interest.

I would like to enter these in the following challenges:

• Allsorts- free and easy
• Stamptacular Sunday- 'Friends are heaven sent'
• Sentimental Sunday- In the garden + a sentiment
• Spoon full of sugar- create a tag
• Papertake Weekly- Anything goes

Teacher thanks...

School finishes on Tuesday so I have been busy with sorting out thank you cards for Matthew to give his teachers. He wanted 4:- one for his class teacher and one for the class support assistant, one for the PPA teacher who teaches him French and one for Mademoiselle Rollet who is a teacher from France who has been working with some of the schools in our area this school year and is now returning to France.
I used this cute little mouse with a pencil from Meljens for all the cards and made the personal sentiments on my computer.
Matthew chose the papers and he wanted blue, white and red to give a French look- these papers were a freebie from Shabby Princess called 'Celebrating'.

He chose 'Festival', also by Shabby Princess, for his teacher.

Finally he chose 'Happy Mother's Day' by Summer Driggs for the classroom support.

I would like to enter these cards in the following challenges:

• Allsorts- free and easy
• Sisterhood- give thanks
• Simon Says- anything goes

Thank you cards...

I needed a couple of thank you cards for my stash so I printed out a couple of these gorgeous bears from Meljens and decided to use the same layout with different papers. Both the papers are freebies from Shabby Princess...

...this one is called 'Sweet Sprinkles'...

...and this one is called 'Festival'.

The flowers have been cut with Joy Craft dies and the leaves are Crealies dies.

I would like to enter these cards in the following challenges:

• Charisma Cardz- all about flowers
• Allsorts- free and easy

Summer in the garden...

I made a card very similar to this a while ago, but used cool blues and greens with dark brown- You can see it here. I was so pleased with it that I decided to remake it but in these warm, summery colours.
The papers are a freebie from Shabby Princess called 'Festival' and had just the colours I was looking for. The image is from Elzybells (now closed down). The sentiment is a freebie from Scrap-a-licious Times which I have printed onto one of the papers from the set. Finished off with a flower which was white but coloured with promarkers to match the papers and a little swirl topped with a couple of tiny pearls.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Corrosive- summer colours
• Cupcake- Things with tails- the little bird
• Spoon Full of Sugar- Here comes Summer
• My time to craft- Wildlife
• Do you stack up?- Birthdays
• Totally Papercrafts- Summer

A watering can of roses...

Here's another card made with my Pink Petticoat gingham papers. This time I have gone for a soft, feminine combination of rose pink and green. The image is from Bugaboo and I have stamped the sentiment, from Elzybells, straight on to the paper for a cleaner look. I couldn't resist some more bunting cut with my MTF pennant die- I love how you can scale digi paper so that the gingham on the bunting is really small.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Daring Cardmakers- roses or honeysuckle
• Catch the bug- anything goes
• Papertake weekly- anything goes
• Scrapbook sisters- an English country garden

'Cupcake Inspiration' and lots of other challenges!...

As soon as I saw the photo at Cupcake Inspiration this week a card design appeared in my head and I have now found an evening to put it together!

The colours made me think of the 'Relax' papers from Summertime Designs and the birds reminded me of the bird stamps I got from the Elzybells closing down sale but had not inked up yet! - I know I'm bad!

The sentiment is a freebie from Scrap-a-licious Times and I printed it onto some of the DP by running it through my printer again. (Only do this on inkjets- my husband has warned me that it will do bad things to laser printers!) I coloured a white fabric flower with my Promarkers to match the papers and used a Papermania pearl brad in the center. I wanted this to be really feminine so have also added tiny pearls to the centers of the flowers on the image and 3 at the bottom of the card. The dark brown mats looked a bit too much on their own but when they are put with the other colours I think they work well.

This card also fits the following challenges:

• Daring Cardmakers- The Darling BUGS of May! (the bees)
• Paper Sundaes- Birthdays
• Corrosive- Birthdays
• Cupcake- In the Garden
• Spoon full of Sugar- Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly- Bloom and Grow
• Truly Scrumptious- anything goes
• Do you stack up?- colour- celery, white and sea grass blue

I finally made a tealight box card...

I first saw one of these on Sarah's blog- Rainmac's Place- and I thought it was just beautiful. She included a link to the tutorial she had followed so I immediately bookmarked it and I have finally made my first one.

As you can see, it is a square card with a spine and a box inside that holds 4 tealights.

I started off by trying the instructions out on some scrap card and I was glad I did because I only had a Crafter's Companion Top Score board which is great for all sorts of standard card sizes but I was having to measure, mark and line up on one of the scoring lines for each fold and the box just didn't turn out crisp enough and it was too large so the candles moved about. I decided to invest in a board with measurements on as I would like to have a go at more of this sort of thing. I have now got a Hougie Board which is 12 by 12 and double sided, with half centimeter apart lines on one side and half inch apart lines on the other. It was great and as it has such fine lines I was able to make the box fit the candles perfectly.

For the front I used a sweet little mouse by Meljen's coloured with promarkers and added the dot and dash border with a gel pen to frame it and to link with the dots and squiggles used on the image. I am so in love with these digi papers by Just so Scrappy called 'Think Pink' at the moment.

 I used my Tattered Florals die by Tim Holtz for Sizzix to cut out the smallest flower twice. One from Core'dinations and one from the check DP. I scrunched each petal up a bit with my nails and lightly sanded the Core'dinations before putting it together with a card candy center and die cut leaves. I recently tried to bring some order to my ribbon by sorting it into tubs of the same colours so it was easy to find the lovely organza ribbon. Here are a couple more photos of the inside.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

• Little Red Wagon- animals
• Paper Cutz- spring
• Allsorts- make your own flowers
• One Stop Crafts- spring flowers
• Crafty Emma's- flowers and flutterbys

Bugaboo Daily Birthday Challenges, day 5...

This card is for the final daily challenge at Catch the Bug of 'anything goes'. The papers are a freebie download from Shabby Princess called Sweet Sprinkles- again!- loving these at the moment! The image is JJ Birthday from the Tequila and Shoes Set, coloured with promarkers. I initially made this for the 'bling' challenge, before I realised a specific image was required, so I have glittered the top of her hat, the top of the cupcakes, her earrings and the edges of the sentiment then added 3 gems to the sentiment and one each to the centers of the flowers.

I would also like to enter this card for:

• Ooh La La- Bling it on!
• Do you stack up?- think pink
• Paper Cutz- your choice

Bugaboo Birthday challenges, day 3...

Ok, so day 2 went a little bit awry! I had a card finished and ready before I saw that you had to use a specific image, but not to fear- I can use that one for the Friday challenge of 'anything goes' (which is the one card I had not finished) and you have longer to enter the cards than I thought so I should have time to make a card with the image and add it before the Tuesday challenge closes- phew!!

I'm hoping this isn't too cheeky- the recipient is 16 and has had a serious operation on her back, she now has an infection and I hear she needs some cheering up.

This card follows the sketch which is today's challenge at Catch the Bug. The image is ICU from the Nursing Stella Set coloured with promarkers. The papers are from a freebie download called 'Sweet Sprinkles' from Shabby Princess. The flower is made with Joy dies and the swirl is from a Marianne die with a couple of tiny gems on the ends.

I would also like to enter this card for:

• My time to craft- spots and dots
• The pink elephant- pink, orange and aqua

Pink with a purpose...

Thankfully I have not had to go through breast cancer myself but I have had two colleagues who have had it and, although I wanted to make a special card for them, I found it hard to find the right image and have not really been happy with what I made. A few weeks ago Bugaboo released these images as freebies and I had to have a play! I'm hoping I don't need to use these cards, but if I do, at least I am pleased with how they turned out. The papers are from a digi scrapping kit called 'Think Pink' by Just so Scrappy and the matte silver card, gems and ribbon are from my stash.

I would like to enter these cards for:

• Charisma Cardz- one for the girls
• Stamp Something- thankful somethings (the second card is a 'Thanks for your support' card)
• Digis with attitude- pink, black and silver (lots of pink and silver-black on the image and sentiment)
• Allsorts- monochrome
• Karber- sparkle (the gems)
• Craft your passion- monochrome